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Countries in Africa Ranked by Labour force size (2025)

Labour force size: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).

Summary

Nigeria ranks #1 with 116.58 million people. That is 2.1 times Ethiopia in second place (56.78 million people). The top five are Nigeria, Ethiopia, Congo, Dem. Rep., Egypt, Arab Rep. and Tanzania. Together the top 10 account for 63.8% of the total across the 53 countries in Africa listed. The median across all 53 is 6.13 million people; São Tomé and Principe is last at 35,075 people. Nigeria's figure has risen 92% since 2001 (60.77 million people to 116.58 million people in 2025).

#1
Nigeria · 116.58 million people
Median
6.13 million people
Coverage
53 countries in Africa
Data year
2025
Last updated
2026-11-14
Top 10: Labour force sizeBar chart of the top 10: 1. Nigeria 116.58 million; 2. Ethiopia 56.78 million; 3. Congo, Dem. Rep. 39.22 million; 4. Egypt, Arab Rep. 36.11 million; 5. Tanzania 34.05 million; 6. South Africa 26.73 million; 7. Kenya 24.71 million; 8. Uganda 23.39 million; 9. Madagascar 17.09 million; 10. Angola 16.32 million.Nigeria116.58 millionEthiopia56.78 millionCongo, Dem. Rep.39.22 millionEgypt, Arab Rep.36.11 millionTanzania34.05 millionSouth Africa26.73 millionKenya24.71 millionUganda23.39 millionMadagascar17.09 millionAngola16.32 million
Top 10: Labour force size (people). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. Nigeria 116.58 million; 2. Ethiopia 56.78 million; 3. Congo, Dem. Rep. 39.22 million; 4. Egypt, Arab Rep. 36.11 million; 5. Tanzania 34.05 million; 6. South Africa 26.73 million; 7. Kenya 24.71 million; 8. Uganda 23.39 million; 9. Madagascar 17.09 million; 10. Angola 16.32 million.
Labour force size over time, top 5Nigeria: 60.77 million in 2001 to 116.58 million in 2025; Ethiopia: 29.76 million in 2001 to 56.78 million in 2025; Congo, Dem. Rep.: 20.53 million in 2001 to 39.22 million in 2025; Egypt, Arab Rep.: 21.32 million in 2001 to 36.11 million in 2025; Tanzania: 16.88 million in 2001 to 34.05 million in 2025.029.15 million58.29 million87.44 million116.58 million200120132025NigeriaEthiopiaCongo, Dem. Rep.Egypt, Arab Rep.Tanzania
Labour force size over time, top 5 (people). Nigeria: 60.77 million in 2001 to 116.58 million in 2025; Ethiopia: 29.76 million in 2001 to 56.78 million in 2025; Congo, Dem. Rep.: 20.53 million in 2001 to 39.22 million in 2025; Egypt, Arab Rep.: 21.32 million in 2001 to 36.11 million in 2025; Tanzania: 16.88 million in 2001 to 34.05 million in 2025.
Share of the total: Labour force sizeNigeria 19.0%; Ethiopia 9.3%; Congo, Dem. Rep. 6.4%; Egypt, Arab Rep. 5.9%; Tanzania 5.6%; All others 53.8%19%9%54%

Nigeria 19.0%Ethiopia 9.3%Congo, Dem. Rep. 6.4%Egypt, Arab Rep. 5.9%Tanzania 5.6%All others 53.8%

Share of the total: Labour force size, as a share of 53 countries in Africa. Nigeria 19.0%; Ethiopia 9.3%; Congo, Dem. Rep. 6.4%; Egypt, Arab Rep. 5.9%; Tanzania 5.6%; All others 53.8%.

Full ranking

Countries in Africa Ranked by Labour force size, 2025
RankCountryLabour force size (people)Year
1Nigeria116,580,0002025
2Ethiopia56,779,0002025
3Congo, Dem. Rep.39,218,0002025
4Egypt, Arab Rep.36,106,0002025
5Tanzania34,053,0002025
6South Africa26,732,0002025
7Kenya24,712,0002025
8Uganda23,394,0002025
9Madagascar17,092,0002025
10Angola16,321,0002025
11Mozambique15,658,0002025
12Algeria13,557,0002025
13Ghana13,250,0002025
14Côte d'Ivoire13,068,0002025
15Morocco12,631,0002025
16Niger11,971,0002025
17Cameroon11,466,0002025
18Sudan10,949,0002022
19Burkina Faso9,914,9002025
20Mali9,156,6002025
21Malawi8,323,7002025
22Zambia8,011,4002025
23Zimbabwe6,854,7002025
24Chad6,746,5002025
25Benin6,644,6002025
26Burundi6,308,2002025
27Senegal6,131,2002025
28Rwanda5,843,3002025
29South Sudan5,070,3002023
30Guinea4,722,8002025
31Tunisia4,268,3002025
32Somalia, Fed. Rep.3,555,4002025
33Togo2,960,8002025
34Sierra Leone2,935,0002025
35Liberia2,673,8002025
36Congo, Rep.2,641,3002025
37Libya2,616,9002025
38Central African Republic2,076,4002025
39Eritrea1,763,7002025
40Mauritania1,248,6002025
41Botswana1,199,4002025
42Namibia1,152,8002025
43Guinea-Bissau899,2202025
44Lesotho889,5302025
45Gabon844,1502025
46Gambia, The807,2802025
47Equatorial Guinea737,9802025
48Mauritius622,3302025
49Eswatini430,8702025
50Comoros310,8402025
51Djibouti267,6102025
52Cabo Verde226,4502025
53São Tomé and Principe35,0752025

About the top 10

#6 South Africa

South Africa ranks #6 on this list with 26.73 million people.

Capital
Pretoria, Cape Town
Continent
Africa
Income group
Upper middle income
Population
64.75 million people (2025)
GDP
US$427.18 billion (2025)
GDP per person
US$6,598 (2025)
Life expectancy
66.3 years (2024)
Urban population
63.8% of population (2025)

Largest cities: City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg, Cape Town.

Also ranks #2 in unemployment rate · #2 in youth unemployment rate · #2 in income share of richest 10%.

Full country profile

Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.

Related rankings

Source and method

Labour force size: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.

Source: The World Bank, indicator SL.TLF.TOTL.IN. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.

The World Bank: Labor force, total: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database (via World Development Indicators)

Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database; United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).

Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.